Question

Fences August Wilson

Character: what do we observe about the character based on what they say or do, and how others respond to them?


What conflicts are present in the text? (be specific! Is it internal or external and how?)


How does the action of the text engage the theme topic of Responsibility?


There are 6 column fill out each column

Answer 1

Fences August Wilson, born in 1945, was an influential American playwright known for his "Pittsburgh Cycle" of plays, including "Fences," which explores the African American experience and earned him a Pulitzer Prize. His works delve into themes of race, identity, and history, cementing his legacy as a significant figure in 20th-century theater.

Character

• Troy Maxson is a complex and well-developed individual.
• He is a loving father and husband, but he is also a flawed man who makes mistakes.
• Troy is a hard worker who has overcome many obstacles in his life, but he is also a man who is haunted by his past.
• He is a man of great strength and determination, but he is also a man who is capable of great anger and violence.

Conflicts

• The conflict between Troy's dreams and his reality.
• The conflict between Troy and his son Cory.
• The conflict between Troy and his wife Rose.
• The conflict between Troy and his friends.

Responsibility

• The theme of responsibility is central to the text of "Fences."
• Troy is a man who is constantly struggling with the question of what it means to be responsible.
• Troy's struggle with responsibility is evident in his relationships with his family and friends.
• Troy's struggle with responsibility is also evident in his own life.

Specific examples

• Troy's dreams of playing professional baseball are dashed by racism and discrimination.
• Troy's relationship with his son Cory is strained by Troy's desire for Cory to follow in his footsteps and become a garbage man, while Cory wants to play football.
• Troy's infidelity to his wife Rose leads to a great deal of pain and anger in their relationship.
• Troy's friends are supportive of him, but they are also critical of his choices.
• Troy's struggle with responsibility is evident in his inability to accept Cory's dreams for himself, his inability to forgive his father for abandoning him when he was a child, and his own mistakes that have hurt the people he loves.

Conclusion

• The theme of responsibility is a complex one, and it is one that is explored in great depth in "Fences."
• Troy's struggle with responsibility is a struggle that is familiar to many people, and it is a struggle that is ultimately about finding a way to live with the choices that we have made.